Purchase of an LCQ Decca 10,000 mass spectrometer system for the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI) and affiliated Pathobiology Department of the Univ. of Washington is proposed. The instrument will add a new capability and dramatically enhance the research capabilities. This instrument will allow important utilization of newly obtained pathogen genomic sequence information. The LCQ Decca 10,000 was selected since it is ideally suited as a central facility for multiple users because of its ease of operation, reliability, flexibility, sensitivity, ability to produce high quality data, and cost effectiveness. It will be located at SBRI for convenient access to most users and to provide for efficient operation in an environment where shared facilities have been successfully operated for a long period of time. Facility operation provides for efficient, effective, and cost-effective use as well as maintenance and upgrading of capabilities as the technology develops. Operation provides technical and data interpretation services in order to make the facility maximally useful to the largest numbers of investigators. A two-tiered fee-for-service structure provides for sample running (i.e. data collection) and data analysis. An Advisory Committee will oversee the organization, use, and development of the facility. Facility management will be directed by Dr. K. Stuart, and its day-to-day operation will be managed by Dr. A. Panigrahi, who has experience in the use of the mass spectrometer and in the data analysis. Installation and operator/user training will be provided by the supplier with additional training provided by Dr. Panigrahi. Technical assistance is available from local investigators, including Dr. R. Aebersold, an expert on the use of mass spectrometry and its application to proteomics. Substantial immediate usage by numerous projects is anticipated and we expect capacity to be exceeded in short order, as a result of limitations on the rate of data analysis. SBRI will provide operational support for the facility, and will provide the equipment and allied expenses to meet the additional demand.